Health Condition Update
is hospitalized with pneumonia in both lungs and a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection, requiring cortisone and antibiotic treatment. Despite his serious condition, he remains in good spirits, grateful for prayers and displaying stable clinical conditions with slight improvement in inflammatory markers.
The Vatican has not disclosed how long the pope will remain in the hospital but indicates his complex clinical picture requires an adequate stay. He has been able to eat, read, and perform some work from his hospital room, and has not been known to use supplemental oxygen.
Impact on Vatican Activities and Public Response
Due to Pope Francis's hospitalization, several Vatican events, including the weekly general audience and Holy Year ceremonies, have been canceled or altered, with other cardinals stepping in for scheduled activities.
Public and political figures have expressed concern and well wishes for the pope's recovery. Italian Premier visited him, finding him alert and in good spirits, while the Vatican has received get-well messages from children in the hospital's oncology ward.